Dorothy J. Uhrlass, Ph.D.

Groups for individuals in middle school and high school with social anxiety will be offered this summer and fall.  The groups will be time-limited and a typical cycle will be approximately 12-15 sessions.  Individuals will be matched to groups of similar ages and developmental level.

Group therapy has been shown in research to be particularly effective for the treatment of social anxiety.  Socially anxious children and teens often develop patterns of avoidance that serve to perpetuate their anxiety and often leave them feeling defeated and withdrawn.  

Using CBT approaches, including exposure therapy, the goal of these groups is to teach children effective strategies to face, rather than avoid, their fears.  Children will learn ways to challenge and change negative thought patterns (shifting negatively biased thoughts to more realistic, helpful thoughts), strategies to change behavioral patterns of avoidance, as well as problem-solving skills.  The group setting allows for role-play, in-vivo exposures (i.e., in-session exposures with the peer group), as well as a supportive setting through which to build mastery experiences.